It's Monday, you know what that means! It's time to take a look back at the past week and see who the best players were around the league. Click here to check out last week's if you missed it. If not, let's get into this.
Point Guard: Luka Dončić
For the second week in a row, the easy choice for the top point guard in the league this week was Luka Dončić. After a disappointing start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks have rebounded and risen to a decent 6-5 record on the year. A 1-1 outing this past week didn't really hurt or help their standing, but they are still one of the better teams in the West early in the year. Leading the way for the Mavericks was, obviously, Dončić. For the second week in a row, Dončić averaged a triple-double, racking up 31 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 11 assists per game, while also adding a steal and two blocks per game and shooting 53% from the field and 38% from three. In the Mavericks' sole win this week over the Hornets, Dončić stuffed the stat sheet, putting up 34 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks.
Honorable Mentions:
Damian Lillard: 30.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 46% FG, 40% 3P, 100% FT
D'Angelo Russell: 26 PPG, 4 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 45% FG, 40% 3P
Shooting Guard: Shake Milton
Yeah, really. While they started the season off strong, injuries and COVID-19 have hit the Philadelphia 76ers hard. Currently sitting at 9-5 on the year, the Sixers have had to run severely limited rosters for the last week and a half. The fact that they managed to finish the week with a .500 record is pretty surprising, and part of that is thanks to an unlikely source; Shake Milton. Coming off a sophomore season where he showcased his three-point shooting, Milton has taken huge leaps as a player, as he's currently one of the top scorers on the team. This week, Milton went above and beyond and was, quite frankly, the best shooting guard in the league this past week. For the week, Milton averaged 29.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 64% from the field, 56% from three-point range, and 92% from the free-throw line. After missing three straight games, Milton came back with a huge 31 point, 7 assist performance in a win over the Heat, during which he shot 11/15 (73%) from the field.
Honorable Mentions:
Zach LaVine: 40 PPG, 7 RPG, 6.5 APG, 58% FG, 60% 3P
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 25.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5 APG, 63% FG, 50% 3P
Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard
The Western Conference has turned into a race to see which L.A. makes it out on top. As of right now, the defending champion Lakers hold first by a game and a half, but the Clippers are right on their tails. Currently 9-4 on the year, the Clippers are coming off a perfect 3-0 week. This is in large part thanks to the play of their two stars, but it was Kawhi Leonard who took the reigns and led the team to success this week. For the week, Leonard averaged 30 points, 4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 58% from the field, 63% from three-point range, and 94% from the free-throw line. Leonard's best performance came in the Clippers' blowout win over the Kings, where he put up 27 points, and 6 assists, while also holding the Kings' Harrison Barnes to just 14 points on 33% shooting.
Honorable Mentions:
Paul George: 27 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 49% FG, 56% 3P
LeBron James: 22.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 49% FG, 41% 3P
Power Forward: Kevin Durant
The Brooklyn Nets have had a decent start to the season. Despite Kyrie Irving going A.W.O.L for the last few weeks, the Nets still sit at 8-6 on the year. The addition of James Harden should make them a stronger team, but a huge reason this team is staying afloat right now is due to Kevin Durant, who led the Nets to a 3-1 record this week. There was a lot of discussion in the offseason about whether Durant would ever be the player he was before his Achilles tendon injury in 2019 again, but so far, he's looked like the Durant of old, and this week saw him play his best basketball this year. For the week, Durant averaged 34.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 59% from the field and 52% from three-point range. Durant closed out this week with a huge 42-point performance to lead the Nets past the Magic for their third straight win.
Honorable Mentions:
Domantas Sabonis: 23 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 54% FG
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 25 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5 APG, 1 SPG, 2 BPG, 56% FG, 43% 3P
Center: Andre Drummond
A lot of people wrote the Cleveland Cavaliers off this season. Hell, I'm a die-hard Cavs fan and even I wasn't expecting anything good from them this year. However, while they haven't been great, they're still exceeding expectations. Currently 6-7 on the season, a 1-2 outing this past week isn't a great look, it's still not as bad as a lot of people were expecting. And on the bright side, the play of Andre Drummond this past week has been exceptional. While he only played in two of the Cavaliers' three games, Drummond's impact was obvious. For the week, Drummond averaged 26 points, 18.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 53% from the field. After missing a game, Drummond capped off the week with a dominant 33 point, 23 rebound game in a win over the Knicks.
Honorable Mentions
Nikola Jokic: 22.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 8.7 APG, 3.7 SPG, 52% FG, 100% FT
Nikola Vucevic: 25.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 53% FG, 44% 3P, 100% FT
Sixth Man: Chris Boucher
If the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a pleasant surprise this year, then the Toronto Raptors have to one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far. Just two years removed from their first championship in franchise history, the Raptors now find themselves closer to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings than anybody would've expected, currently holding a 4-8 record. This week did see some improvement, as they managed to go 2-2, but there are definitely improvements that need to be made. But back to the positives, the man who led the team this week was someone you might not expect. It wasn't either of the team's all-stars in Kyle Lowry or Pascal Siakam, but it was Chris Boucher off the bench. For the week, Boucher averaged 20 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 63% from the field and 58% from three-point range. The only bench player who was better than Boucher this week was Shake Milton, but since he was the best shooting guard this week, Boucher takes this spot easily. Boucher's best performance of the week came in a win over the Hornets, where he put up 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
Honorable Mentions:
Jordan Clarkson: 18.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 46% FG, 43% 3P, 100% FT
Montrezl Harrell: 16.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1 BPG, 66% FG
Rookie: Patrick Williams
OK...I'm not going to pretend the Chicago Bulls are good. They're 4-8 on the year and are coming off an 0-2 performance this past week. Even with a competent head coach in Billy Donovan, the Bulls are still struggling to find their footing in the NBA today. But, if there is anything positive that we can take away from the Bulls' season, it's that Patrick Williams is proving a lot of people wrong. There were a lot of doubts, some of which were from me, about how Williams, a sixth man in college, would translate to the NBA. While he hasn't been lighting the world on fire, he's been a consistent starter and playing some solid basketball, and this past week, he arguably the best rookie in the league. For the week, Williams averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, a steal, and a block per game while shooting 69% (nice) from the field, 63% from three-point range, and a perfect 4/4 from the free-throw line. Williams' best performance of the week came in a close loss to the Clippers, where he dropped a career-high 17 points.
Honorable Mentions:
Tyrese Maxey: 14.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 46% FG
Precious Achiuwa: 10.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 63% FG
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